Foot treating device



Nov. 8, 1966 w. w. TURLEY 3,283,756

FOOT THEATING DEVICE Filed Nov. l, 1963 2L FIG. 4

FIG. 5

INVENTOR. 44 WOODROW W. TURLEY .4 4 35 e ATTORNEY l, [fl IM VIA I lul IVI IVIIAA IWIVI IM [u United States Patent O 3,283,756 FOOT TREATING DEVICE Woodrow W. Turley, 1831 Kincaid, Eugene, Oreg. Filed Nov. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 320,800 Claims. (Cl. 12S- 66) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in foot treating devices and more particularly is concerned with a device for massaging the feet through the medium of air agitated liquid.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a device of the type described having an improved structural arrangement for receiving the feet and which includes a liquid receptacle having air inlet means to accomplish air agitation of the liquid.

Another object is to provide a foot treating device having a novel arrangement of compartments for receiving the feet and having a novel combination of air passageways for accomplishing air agitation of the liquid.

Another object is to provide a foot treating device which utilizes air agitation of liquid and may be operated if desired by the air discharge from a conventional vacuum cleaner.

Still another object is to provide a foot treating device of the type described having supporting brushes for the feet through which agitated water may be circulated.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a tank or container adapted to hold a liquid and of a size to receive the feet. The device has air passages leading into the tank for the purpose of yadmitting forced air to accomplish agitation and aeration of the liquid for the massage of the feet. In a preferred construction, the device utilizes brushes on the bottom thereof for `supporting the feet to accomplish an etlicient massage and foot treatment. The invention will be better understood and additional `objects will become apparent from the following specification and claims, considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein the numerals of reference indicate like parts yand wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective View of the present device;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical, transverse sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE l.

Referring now in particular to the drawings, the present device comprises a tank or container which may assume various shapes but in a preferred construction includes an upright portion 12 and a horizontal forwardly projecting portion 14. This tank is liquid tight and is adapted to receive and hold a suitable supply of liquid such as water. The device has a carrying handle 16 secured to the upper front edge thereof which, because of such location, facilitates substantially vertical disposition of the tank when it is carried to prevent liquid in the tank from spilling.

The tank has a false bottom wall 18 providing a bottom compartment 20. Leading upwardly from the wall 18 is a partition or wall 22 which as best apparent in FIGURES 2 and 3 extends the full longitudinal length of the tank. This partition forms separate feet compartments 24.

Partition 22 comprises a doubled wall structure and has a vertical, central full length passageway 26 between the walls thereof. The upper end of partition 22 is closed at 28, this closed end preferably being rounded in order that the feet will not he injured should they contact it when being inserted into the tank. The central passageway 26 opens into the compartment 20.

3,283,756 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 The upper end of passageway 26 is: enlarged in a rounded portion 30 and is tapered or flared outwardly from rear to front, FIGURE 3. The rounded upper end 30 of passageway 26 projects through the front wall of tank portion 12 in a front opening 32. This opening is for attaching forced air means to the device.

Although any desired type of forced air means may be provided the purpose of the rounded and generally tapered passageway portion 30 is to receive the nozzle end 34 of a conventional vacuum cleaner, such nozzle end being in communication with the air outlet of the vacuum cleaner. The opening 32 and tapered portion 30 are selectively dimensioned such that they will receive substantially all nozzle ends of conventional vacuum cleaners, and by forcing such nozzles inwardly into said tapered portion 30 they engage the tapered walls thereof to form a substantially sealed connection.

Although it is within the concept of the present invention to provide a built-in forced air unit, it is preferred to provide the structure as illustrated since by using an existing air supply the device can be constructed at minimum cost and be of lightweight structure.

False bottom wall 18 has a plurality of apertures 36 therein, and the partition or wall 22 has apertures 38 leading from passageway 26 into each of the compartments 24. In addition, apertures 40 lead upwardly from the compartment 20 through reinforcing portions 42 between the side walls of the tank and false bottom 18, the outlets of these apertures being substantially horizontally aligned with apertures 38 in the walls of partition 22. The number of apertures 40 corresponds substantially to the number of apertures 38.

In a preferred construction, a plurality of brush members 44 are mounted on the false bottom wall 18 for supporting the feet. A drain opening 46, FIGURES l and 5, is provided in a side wall of the tank, this drain opening being in communication with compartment 20 and being closed by a removable drain plug 48.

In operation of the present device, liquid is poured into the tank in an amount to bring the level thereof to approximately the broken line 50. The feet are inserted into the device and an air source 34 applied to the opening 32. The forced air moves downwardly through passageway 26 and enters the compartments 24 `through apertures 38, compartment 20 and apertures 36 and 40. This forced air then bubbles up through the liquid to agitate and aerate the same and accomplish a liquid massage of the feet. The apertures are arranged to provide for an all-around air agitation of the liquid, the brushes 44 providing for pasageways under the feet to massage the sole area of the feet. The apertures 38 and 42, opening horizontally at the sides, accomplish massage of the sides and upper surfaces of the feet.

By the structural arrangement described, the present device has separa-te compartments for the feet which provide a minimum area for agitation and thus require a minimum amount of air to accomplish the agitation. Thus, sufficient agitation may be accomplished by the air source of a conventional vacuum cleaner. This minimum space feature of the device is also accomplished by its particular foot shape comprising the vertical tank portion 12 and the forwardly projecting tank portion 14.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A foot treating device comprising a container having defining walls and adapted to hold a liquid and to receive the feet, means defining air inlet passages in some of said ydefining walls and adapted to hold a liquid and to receive the feet, a false bottom in said container on which the feet are supported and forming a bottom compartment therebelow, a partition leading upwardly from said false bottom forming separate feet compartment, means dening an air intake aperture at the upper end of said partition, means defining a passageway in said partition leading downwardly from said intake aperture to said bottom compartment, said partition having apertures leading into said feet compartments from its passageway, and said false bottom having apertures leading from said bottom compartment to said feet compartments.

3. The foot treating device of claim 2 wherein said false bottom has upwardly extending spaced brush members mounted thereon for supporting the feet.

4. A foot treating device comprising a container having defining walls and adapted to hold a liquid and t0 receive the feet, a longitudinal partition in said container forming a separate compartment for each foot, means dening air inlet passages in at least one of said container walls adjacent the lower end of said container for receiving pressurized air adapted to agitate the liquid around the feet, means defining a passageway in said partition communicating with said air inlet passages, and means communicating with said passageway for connecting a source of air.

5. A foot treating device comprising a container having dening walls and adapted to hold a liquid and to receive the feet, a longitudinal partition in said container forming a separate compartment for each foot, means defining air inlet passages in at least one of said container walls and in the partition adjacent the lower end of said container for receiving pressurized air adapted to agitate the liquid around the feet, means defining a passageway in said partition communicating with said air inlet passages, and means communicating with said passageway for connecting with said passageway for connecting a source of air.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 964,843 7/1910 Booth 4-184 1,345,568 7/1920 Ward 4--182 1,830,853 11/1931 Osterhage.

3,026,540 3/1962 Barker 4--182 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,756 1891 Great Britain. 105,738 4/1917 Great Britain. 54,756 2/ 1911 Switzerland.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

L. W. TRAPP, Assistant Examiner. 

4. A FOOT TREATING DEVICE COMPRISING A CONTAINER HAVING DEFINING WALLS AND ADAPTED TO HOLD A LIQUID AND TO RECEIVE THE FEET, A LONGITUDINAL PARTITION IN SAID CONTAINER FORMING A SEPARATE COMPARTMENT FOR EACH FOOT, MEANS DEFINING AIR INLET PASSAGES IN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CONTAINER WALLS ADJACENT THE LOWER END OF SAID CONTAINER FOR RECEIVING PRESSURIZED AIR ADAPTED TO AGITATE THE LIQUID AROUND THE FEET MEANS DEFINING A PASSAGEWAY IN SAID PARTITION COMMUNICATING WITH SAID AIR INLET PASSAGES, AND MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PASSAGEWAY FOR CONNECTING A SOURCE OF AIR. 